September Budget/Where'd My Money Go?

I haven't done a budget for the last 2 months. I was definitely spending frivolously on eating out/drinks/end of summer fun. And I know It's already halfway through this month, but I figure I'll at least attempt to get back on track!

Bills/ Fixed Payments

Rent: $898.00 (increase due to resigning lease)
Cable: $205.93
Phone: $124.01
Transportation: $174.00
Groceries: $300.00
Netflix: $5.34
Credit Report: $15.00 (I've decided to keep this as I found an error recently and want to track it)
Loan Repayment: $165.00
Savings: $240.00
Total: $2127.28

Other
Gifts: $105.00 ($15 Bachelorette Gift, $90 for 2 Baby Shower Gifts) <-- I was smart enough to buy 3 Groupons for Flexiflops ($20/ea.), each $10, for the upcoming bach parties I knew I would be attending!
Bachelorette Party Bus: $76.00
Eating Out: $45.00
Shopping: $50.00
Miscellany: $200.00 (will probably almost all be spent at the bach party- NYC is expensive!)
Total: $476.00

-------------------------------------------------

Where'd My Money Go?

Bills/Fixed Payments
Rent: $898.00

Cable: $205.93
Phone: $124.01
Transportation: $300.00
Groceries: $40.00
Netflix: $5.34
Loan Repayment: $165.00
Total: $1738.28

Shopping
Old Navy: $26.49

Gifts
Baby Shower Gifts: $84.26
Bach party Gifts: $15.00
Total: $99.26 (Under budget- woot woot!)

Eating Out
Meatball Parm Sub: $10.00
Starbucks: $8.50
Popeyes: $10.00
Indian Food: $10.50
Total: $39.00 (I'm almost at my max and it's only halfway through the month...not looking good!)

I'm worried about this upcoming weekend because of the Bach party. I'll have to put my savings away before going out. If it's not there, I can't spend it! Hopefully it will work out!

A Perfect Weekend

Friday
We went to Babies R Us to pick up 2 baby presents, one to be mailed, and another to bring to a baby shower on Sat. Then we got some Popeye's. I was minorly annoyed because I didn't have our coupons, and they gave me the wrong drink (I asked for Sweet Tea...they gave me unsweetened tea...complete opposite of what I wanted!), but it was still yummy.

I got the momma-to-be a Boppy Pillow, wipes, a toy, and I think the major hit present of the night...

Burt's Bees Nappy Ointment...yes, that's seriously what it was called. But I didn't get a pic and now I guess they renamed it to Baby Bee Diaper Ointment...so not as funny. Damn. 

Saturday
We went to my friend E's baby shower in the BX (Bronx for those who don't know). E is one of my college buddies,...one of the few I still talk to. The shower was actually for his baby mama. And it was a surprise, that was supposed to start at 3. But of course we were running late...

I wanted to mail out my other friend's baby present, so we wen tto the Post Office, where I realized that I didnt actually have my address book. So we went back home, and I realized that I didn't have the address at all! Ugh! So we wound up getting to the BX closer to 4....

I thought I had the right address, I swear! So we start ringing the doorbell, and no one answers. So I text E "___ is your address right?" to which he calls to remind me that he had texted me his new address. Oops. But it was only 10 minutes away. So we get there, and the only people there are E's family. Weird. I was able to bribe C into coming with the promise of video games and beer in a separate room with E (they've met before, and found that they are both nerds...awesome).

But the party was supposed to be at 3. It's now a little after 4. There is no baby mama, no friends, and not one member of the BM's family. Luckily E's parents were cool, and kept us entertained (and fed...his mom made baked zitit and bbq ribs) until BM arrived with her one friend at 5:45.

5:45!!!

At least she was surprised! And she loved her presents. But her whole side of the family- mom, aunts, cousins, friends- did not arrive until around 7. They were supposed to be there to set up around 1:30!!! BM was soooo pissed and hurt. I felt bad for her that her family wasn't there on time, let alone early to set up. It seemed like they didn't really care. We left around 8, but I heard that BM was up crying half the night :(

the lovely couple

lots of presents

me, BM, and E

     Sidenote: Apparently E's parents really liked me and C. According to E today, they had a conversation   

     about us the next day, separately to him. His mom said, "oh they came all the way from new jersey and you can just tell

     that they are genuinely nice and caring people." Then from left field, "D's a really lucky woman...C is a really nice guy

     with a good personality...and he's pretty sexy too." And then about 10 min later his dad says to him, "i really liked D.

     she's a very nice girl and very friendly...it didn't hurt that she was f*ckin hot either." LMFAO YOU AND C HAVE

     STALKERS!!"

Instead of going straight home, we decided to stop into Princeton for some ice cream at Halo Pub and a romantic walk around Palmer Square. I had actually never taken a stroll in Princeton even though it's the town right next to us, and it was a perfect night!

Then we came home and watched The Social Network. I seriously had no idea Justin Timberlake was in it, and had such a big role!! Overall I liked it, though I thought Mark spoke waaay too fast. And I got a little confused during the questioning scenes when he was being sued. I loved how Jesse played him, I thought he was acceptably annoying and condescending! Plus, I would have liked more closure at the end, but overall I did enjoy it. And I still think Mark is a genius.

Sunday
C woke me up early to watch 9.11 coverage. My thoughts on that are on the post before this.
After that, we lounged around, ate breakfast, watched football (my fantasy team lost..booo) read the newspaper (or rather, he read, I cut coupons and read the funnies),...and then went grocery shopping. Normally, I don't mind grocery shopping. Except the store was MOBBED. If I can avoid going to the grocery store on Sundays for the rest of my life, that would be awesome. But afterwards, we came home and cooked a delicious Indian dinner. Yes, I said we and yes, Indian. Usually just C cooks, but I helped! And it was the first time we've ever made Indian food- we made a simple chicken tikka masala. It was a little bland, but it was our first time. We were a little nervous about making it too spicy. I found the recipe at Good Housekeeping.

And of course, we had to watch the season finale of True Blood and Entourage.
**SPOILER ALERTS!!**
I was a bit underwhelmed by Entourage. I think I was already over it. The marriage thing was way too predictable- something to match Sloane's pregnancy. Sloane looked super hot standing in front of that plane though. But it was just too easy to get her there. And that Sophia woman seemed waaaay too smart to 1. fall for Vince (even though he's sexy) and 2. want to get married in one day. Seriously?? I think the E-Sloane story-line was 10x better. Plus, what was the outcome of TV show that Johnny Drama took all.damn.season talking about and fighting for? And after Turtle was suddenly a millionaire, did he get the restaurant for those super annoying New Yorkers? I feel like they totally dropped the ball on the ending. Except for Ari. I hear that they may be an Ari Gold spin-off, and/or a movie is in the works (verified on Jeremy Priven's Twitter!), and I can see how they set that up, but I'm not sure I would be interested in either. I will say, however, that if that were my life, and my marriage were on the line, and I was just promised a year in Italy and my man got a phone call to be a major movie/TV mogul....I would kick his ass. It ruined our marriage in the first place, and now you considering returning to it?! Hell. No.


Oh True Blood, you never cease to amaze me.
- Tara!!! I hope they keep her alive by making her a vampire or something.
- Jessica is too freakin hot for words.
- Love Eric killing those vamp government people after being called a puppy dog- egos much boys?!
- I still feel bad for Hoyt, and Jason totally deserved his ass-kicking. He's a dumbass for telling Hoyt, but it's better than Hoyt finding out some other way I guess.
- I'm kind of tired of the Sookie-Eric-Bill triangle, so I'm glad she dropped them both, but we'll see how long that actually lasts. And I'm VERY tired of watching her cry and whine. *Snookie waaah!*
- I'm happy Tommy Mickens (Sam's brother) is dead- he caused too much trouble and I didn't really see how he was helpful to the show overall. Except to make Sam mad enough to (almost) kill Marcus, though Alcide finished the job. And happy about Marnie's death, for the obvious reasons. Jesus' death made me super sad- I liked him with Lafayette! though that Bruja shit was very scary!) I'm also happy Debbie is dead, though Alcide jumping straight into Sookie without any inkling of interest before was kinda weird.
- Rene is baaaaaack! AAAAAAAAAAhhhhhh! I knew he would come back!
- That religious super-freak Steve Newlin is a fanger and also back!

And..the clincher....The KING is ALIVE!

Oh June 2012....you can't come fast enough!

This week Meg asked "what helps you get back to healthy eating? Any weight loss tips work for you?"Ummm I have a confession: I don't eat healthy, nor am I trying (or have ever tried) to lose weight- I've always been very lucky in this department! But I hear that P90X, though extremely intense, works wonders!

"Never Forget, Forever Grateful"

That is the line at the end of the commercial below. I think it sums up how I feel about this pretty fully.

I realized that I've never posted about this day before. In a historic event that I never thought I would forget, I remember quite little. I remember that I was a sophomore in high school, and sitting in Miss Mazzucca's (now married) Psychology class when the first plane hit. I remember her and several other teachers running into a neighboring classroom that was airing live coverage, but we were told to stay where we were. I remember thinking that it had to be an accident. And then I remember my mom coming to pick me up, and watching it on TV. I don't remember how I felt, other than scared. I don't remember what happened in the following days. And I remember the first time I was on the highway heading in the direction of NYC, and not seeing the towers hovering in front of me. I think that was when it finally hit me.

All the lives lost. How scared those people must have been. Last words spoken, last thoughts. The destruction. The firefighters and police who risked their lives trying to pull out remains for months.

All I've ever thought about this day in the last 10 years was sadness. But this morning, as C urged me out of bed to watch the memorial services and coverage on TV, he introduced me to a new way of thinking about it. He said "Sometimes, when I think about it all, I want to cry. But then I think about and focus on how we all came together, and helped each other, and were unified..."

So I got up and watched as they rang the bell for the first tower hit falling. And I began to ask the question that always confused me..."Why us? Why did they attacks us? What did we do to them?"

C is a high school history teacher. And historian. (Not in a boring or know-it-all way). So it makes me asking these seemingly obvious questions that I probably should know the answer to much easier to ask. And it led to a discussion which basically led me to believe that really, in a simplistic way, it goes back to Hitler. Here's why:

Going on the belief that the terrorists were religious fanatics, they were pissed that Israel was created, because thousands of years ago, they fought for that land and it was theirs. So we helped take that land to create Israel for the Jewish people. Which again, made me ask why would we do that. During WWII, Hitler wanted to create a Jew-less race. So he performed mass genocide. And then America felt bad and wanted to help The Jewish people create a land where they could be free, and Jerusalem was the holiest place, so that's where it would be. Except, that land wasn't free- we took it from the Muslims. So they were super pissed. So they attacked what they could, and then 60 some odd years later, finally came directly for us.

At least, that's how I see it, and can make any sort of sense out of something so senseless. And just to be clear, in no way am I saying what they did is even remotely acceptable. I was just trying to answer why.

A picture my friend who works near the memorial took last week, in the rain. Eerie. 

To all those who lost someone, we pray for you. 

For all those who have served this country, we thank you. 

My First "It's OK!" Link Up!

 Today is my first time linking up with "It's Ok! Thursdays" even though I've been following for months! Sooo...It's OK... - to have been following this series for months and only now actually link up! - to buy 4 eyeliners at once to "test them out" - to love baby showers just because you can "oooh" and "aaaah" over all the cute clothes - and to love baby showers and clothes but have absolutely no desire to have babies anytime in the near future - but to love wedding showers more because they usually serve booze - to not really understand all the hype with Rachel Zoe (please still be my friend!) - to go window shopping more than actual shopping... gotta save some moolah! - to be counting down the days until vacation even if you haven't bought your flight yet (ooops...) - to be super excited that Pumpkin Spice lattes are finally back in Starbucks but won't buy one because it would be admitting that summer is really almost over and fall is really almost here :( - to continue burning your summer scents for the same reason as above! Can't wait to see what you're saying "It's OK!" to! 

It's The Sunday Line-Up...on Tuesday

What a crappy day. 

After a WONDERFUL, sunny, beautiful weekend of friends and fun, going to work today was rough.

Especially since 9 people were out of my office. 9. Out of 17. All of the big bosses included.

All I wanted to do was curl up at home. 

In a text to C:

"Baby. tonight- u, me, couch, popcorn, true blood.

it's on like donkey kong!!"

So...that's what's going down.

Well, minus the popcorn, because now we just ate, and I'm stuffed.

And after True Blood, we'll probably take on The Kardashians. 

Have I ever mentioned how much I love our DVR?!

Hope you are having a lovely, relaxing night!!

Book Club Friday: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

From Amazon.com:
"A spellbinding amalgam of murder mystery, family saga, love story, and financial intrigue.

It’s about the disappearance forty years ago of Harriet Vanger, a young scion of one of the wealthiest families in Sweden . . . and about her octogenarian uncle, determined to know the truth about what he believes was her murder.

It’s about Mikael Blomkvist, a crusading journalist recently at the wrong end of a libel case, hired to get to the bottom of Harriet’s disappearance . . . and about Lisbeth Salander, a twenty-four-year-old pierced and tattooed genius hacker possessed of the hard-earned wisdom of someone twice her age—and a terrifying capacity for ruthlessness to go with it—who assists Blomkvist with the investigation. This unlikely team discovers a vein of nearly unfathomable iniquity running through the Vanger family, astonishing corruption in the highest echelons of Swedish industrialism—and an unexpected connection between themselves."

I have to say, it took me several months to get through this book. I tried twice before I got past the first 150 pages. It was definitely hard to keep my interest with all of the names and characters being thrown at me in the beginning- I had a really hard time getting through the first half of the book. However, once I did, the second half was a breeze. Without giving the whole book away- I was enthralled. I kept trying to guess "who dun it"- and I'm not really into mystery books. The ending was a completely twist! And I can't believe that Daniel Craig is going to play Blomvkist in the movie coming out this December! Though I thought the girl had blonde hair, or at least that's how I always pictured her in my head. And now I have to read the rest of the series to know what happens next. I've never really been into series either, but what can I say- I wanna know!

I think the physical relationship between Blomvkist and Lisbeth kept me more intrigued than the case of Harriet and the financial mumbo jumbo (which again, I found hard to understand, though necessary to the storyline). I was also drawn to Lisbeth- I want to know more about her personal life. We got a sneak peek of the turmoil she went through growing up, but we never got the whole picture. I want to know why she is so damaged, and why she's so pissed off at men. (The tattoo she gave her "guardian" was insane!! But it definitely fit the crime.)

Link up below!

"Good Girls Gone Bad, The City's Filled With Them"

Still in super catch up mode! 

So about 2 weeks ago, I attended another awesome bachelorette party! This one was a 3 day affair in NYC, however I was only able to attend 2 days of festivities, as on the third day I had a baptism for my coworker friend. It started out a bit rough. The festivities were to begin after work on Friday. So I met up with 2 others in Hoboken, and then headed to NYC...in the pouring rain. Urgh. And I was still wearing my work clothes since it was monsoon-ing out and I didn't want to get my pretty dress all wet. So we got to the hotel a little late, I got changed, and the partying commenced! They had just ordered in some a-maz-ing Indian food, so I made sure to eat 3 plates full so I could drink without worrying. That didn't work. I had 4 cran-vodkas, but that wasn't the problem.

The problem was the shots...of tequila. And whip cream flavored vodka with orange-aid. (Which, P.S. tastes like a delicious creamsicle, and I don't even like creamsicles. But it was Super smooth.) 

Note to self: Don't take shots.

We ate, made each other up, took a shit ton of pics (we had some difficulty doing the timed group pics), and drank. Then we opened presents. I would say that am much closer to this bride-to-be than the last. However, I learned...a lot! In a good way!! There were definitely some awesome gifts, and lots of laughs. Then we played Left, Right, Center, Bridal Scattegories, and 2 Truths and a Lie. 

we *almost* finally got it!

serious game time

I was great for allllll of this.Then we left. And got in a cab. Have you ever been in a NYC cab, especially at night?! They drive insane!! So by the time we got out of the cabs at Sapphire Lounge, I was no longer okay. I was a hot mess. I think I walked into the bar, went to the bathroom, came out and went outside, sat on the curb and fought with Boyfriend (which I tend to do... never a good idea) ...and then proceeded to get super, super sick. (Note to self #2: Do not consume Indian food if there is even a slight chance of getting sick. Ew.) 

Lucky for me, the 2 girls who I came in with were heading home. They took good care of me, after they got some pizza. Which, apparently, I didn't mind. I just sat and drank my water. And then we got in a cab and headed back to Hoboken.

Except I was supposed to stay in NYC. So all my stuff was back in the hotel room.

And felt super awful for missing out on the dancing/clubbing. :(

Amazingly, I didn't have a hangover the next day. (Most likely because I had nothing left in me!) Though I did feel like I was doing an interstate- walk-of-shame to get back to the hotel. In my lacy party dress from the night before. Ooof. And then I realized I had a hotel room key...awesome, since by the time I got back to the city it was around noon and everyone else was at brunch. So I let myself back in the room and got to making myself look normal again. And then found a Starbucks where I rehydrated and had a text convo with Boyfriend trying to figure out why (or if) we were actually fighting. We made up. I would have headed to brunch at this point, except the organizer said they were about to leave, and that I should meet them at the next location: Sheep's Meadow, in Central Park.  

I asked where exactly that was, but she never got back to me. So I told the cab driver to just take me to Central Park. Now, I've been to Central Park before, but never by myself- I was always with a group who knew where they were going. And being that there was no word from the Bach Party, I decided to grab a pretzel, and camp out in the park with my ipod and blanket (thank goodness I had these things on me!). I was totally relaxed when I finally get  a text saying that they were there.

But where was there??!

Just FYI--- Central park is freakin HUGE. I had no idea there was an amusement park in it. And a zoo. Crazy.

After about 45 minutes of walking around semi-aimlessly (I asked several vendors) and sending out a search party for me, I made it to the group. It was a gorgeous day, and there was wine and cheese and great company. 

After a few hours picnicing in the park, we decided it was time to move on to our next stop... a Burlesque Class at NY School of Burlesque!! It was about 2 hours long, and we all learned a sexy chair dance...with boas! It was awesome!!! I just wish I had the music so I could do it for Boyfriend! (And yes, we did video tape it, in case I need a refresher if I ever do get some music!) And we made the Bride To Be do it all by herself,...but I don't think she minded one bit!!

note: this is not our group, but it did look similar

Once we got our groove on, it was time to eat at Casimir. We had our own separate space, and floor to ceiling windows that opened into the street. It was dark, sexy, and seductive...just like our group! The food was really tasty, and I even tried escargot for the first time!! 

Note: It wasn't as slimy as I expected. In fact, I didn't think it was that slimy at all. It was really garlic-y, but I heard that was normal. And it wasn't like in Pretty Woman where she had to de-shell her own snails,..they came without the shells (thank goodness!) 

Also, they ran out of one of the fish dishes, but were getting more, so a few members of our group had to wait a bit longer. One of the girls (who was very pretty I might add) was able to talk the owner into making it up to them with a glass of champagne for each of us! They wound up going through two bottles just to give us all some! Cheers to that!

Then, it was time to go back to the hotel to get changed and ready for clubbing at Happy Endings. Unfortunately, I had to start heading home, as it was already after midnight, and the last train home was at 1AM. Luckily, another girl was heading home too, in the same direction as me, so I had company all the way! And I got to hang out with her more, which was awesome since I had never hung out with her one-on-one, and I found out she's even cooler than I originally thought. That's always a great surprise!

I was seriously disappointed I missed a second night of clubbing/dancing, and a whole spa day the next day, but at least I did get to celebrate some of my friend's Bachelorette Party with her! And I felt good being able to make it to my friend/coworker's baby's baptism the next day,... completely coherent and not running around like a crazy person!

Me and my Booty Buddy, the hot Bride to Be!

*Title from "Empire State of Mind"- Jay Z and Alicia Keys